Car-coupling mechanism



April 13 1926. 1,580,868'

l C. H. TOMLINSON CR COUPLING MEGHANISM Filed Jan. 3,7, 1924 @www Patented pr. 13, i926.

UNITED STATES Lissone;

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. TOMLINSON, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE TOMLINSON COUPLER COMPANY, OF VlVIANSFIELD, OHIO,- A CORPORATION OF OHIO. i

cAn-oournrne ivrnerranrsivr.

Application mea January 17, 1924.. sei-iai no. 686,903,

To all whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that LCHARLES H. ToMLIN- soN, a citizen ot the United States ot America, residing at Manslield, in the county ot 6 .Richland and State ot' Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Car-Coupling Mechanism, ot' which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a car coupling deio'vice and is particularlyk adapted to the couplingv of mine cars although many yfeatures are applicable to couplers for other uses.

The coupling ot mine cars meets with conditions which are not usually found in the coupling ot' cars on steam roads or for other traction purposes. The cars used in mine haulage are usually provided with a very short wheel vbase and a very long over hang 2o at the ends and the curves found in mine haulage work are otquite short radius and sometimes are as short as itteen leet. Y The essential requirements ot' a coupler to meet mine haulage conditions are that it should couple automatically on curves or straight track; it should be vable to take care ot 'vertical'breaks in the grade; it'should uncouple readily at the will ot' the operator; the coupling mechanism proper should Aautomatically re-set after the couplers have parted; and the couplers should also be so constructed with relation to the conditions under whichit is to be used that it will automatically couple upon impact upon the shortest radius curve under which the cars are expected to operate. Also the couplers should be provided with means for maintaining their alinement relative to each other after the cars have been coupled.

I have devised means for meeting these requirements and other requirements and herein disclose such means and also the manner in which my invention meets the above requiren'ients and others.

My invention resides in thenew and novel construction, combination and relation of the various parts hereinafter fully described and set forth in the drawings accompanying this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top .plan view in partial section showing ymy couplingv mechanism proper and the anchorage means used for securing the coupler proper to the cars. l

`Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation of th coupler proper shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 shows two coupler heads brought together vout ot axial alinement as would be the case when the cars couple on curves and also shows a movable alining pin which I employ to linally aline 'and maintain. lthe couplers in perfect alinement after being coupled. g

Mypret'erred form ot' coupling mechanism comprises a hollow head or body portion 3S and draw-bar 30 provided with a chamber 39 and a partition 40 separating kthe cham# ber 4l within the head from the chamber 39..

Secured to the, rear end of the drawbar 30.

is a plug 42 secured thereto by means of thebolts o r rivets 43. The plug 42 is recessed to receive the tail-piece44 which in turn is provided with the ball 5 mounted within the anchorage 8 which in turn is composed ot` troni; and back members 45 and 46,

respectively, and held together by means ot the bolts 47. The members 45 and 46 are provided with bolt holes 48 and49, respectively, by vmeans ot' which the anchor is secured to "the car body "by means of the bolts 4. Mounted within fthe chamber 39 is a butng spring 51 which is positioned between the movablefp'lates 52 and 53. The plates 52fand53 are movable toward each other, but not away from each other and are movable one at a time, as for-instance, referring to Fig. 1, since thev anchorage 3 is immovably mounted and it the coupler head is drawn away therefrom the'plate v53 will be Vmoved together with the head, and the Vspring 51 will be compressed for the reason that the plate 52 will remain stationary. It, however, the coupling head is moved toward the anchorage the plate 52 would be ymoved toward the plate 53 which latter would ybe immovable and the spring 51 compressed. From this it will be noted that I have provided a coupler head with means to yieldingly resist shocks due to sudden starting or the coupling of cars and whichare very disastrous to the equipment and hasfsubstantially universal movement relative to Each coupler head is also provided with a coupling hook54 pivotally mounted within theV recess 41 by means ofthe pin 55. Each head is also provided with uncoupling means consisting `of a cam '56 pivotally mounted therein upon the pin 13l and provided with members 57 and 58 adapted to engage both hooks simultaneously of two cooperating heads for uncoupling purposes. The uncoupling means is also provided with the uncoupling lever or handle 59 for rotating the uncoupling cam 56. It will be noted that if the lever 59 is moved in the direction of the arrow that the member 57 will engage the hook 54 of the cooperating hea-d and the member 58 will enoafre the u )er yas in the operation of coupling that the hook on each coupler will engage with the head or hook of the other coupler or pass therebetween in coming `together and if the heads are not in perfect alinement the hooks will tend to aline the heads to a certain extent, but they will not finally and perfectly aline the heads for the reason that the hooks cannot be made to interlock with each other properly and simultaneously engage the walls of the opposite head. `Therefore, the heads. will be liable lto shift upon each other and possibly become uncoupled, therefore, I provide means for finally alining the coupler heads and maintaining them in perfeet alinement and free from relative vertical, lateral or rotating movement while in a coupled position.

The means I show for this purpose comprises two openings or intersections 61 in the face of each coupler and two yieldably projecting pins 62,- The center of the openings and the pins are positioned equal distance on either side of a vertical center line through the coupling head, and so arranged that the pins of one head will cooperate with the corresponding openings in the counterpart head when the heads are in coupled relation. The pins 62 are mounted within a casing 63 shown as forming an integral part ofthe coupler head. Mounted within the casing 63 is a spring 64 surrounding the projecting tongue 65 of the pin 62. Secured to the-rear end of the tongue 65 is an adjustable nut 66 by means of which the projection of the pin 62 can be adjusted. It will be evident that the pin can be moved inwardly against the action of the spring 64, but is normally held in a projected position by lthe spring 64 to the limit of movement permitted by the nut 66. The end of the pin is pointed and the outer end of the openings is chamfered which permits the members 61 and 62 to cooperate when the heads are not in perfect alinement.

The reason for movably mounting the pin 62 is shown in Fig. 3. It is quite usual to use centering devices which normally maintain the coupler heads in line with the longitudinal axis of the car, therefore, when the couplers meet on a curve in the act of coupling they will assume a relative position, as shown in Fig. 3. In order that the opening 61 and pin 62 may be of greatest efficiency, it is necessary that the ht of the Pin within the opening should be quite close, therefore, if the pin 62 were made rigid with respect to its coupling head, it will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 3 that when the couplers are brought together with considerable force and the axis of the pin 62 being out of line with the aXis of the opening 6l that either the walls of the opening or the sides of the pin must be injured, also the pin if rigid would prevent the faces from engaging. By making the pins 62 yieldable, it is evident that when they contact with the cooperating head that they will depress as the heads move together and into alinement until the heads are in alinement when they will move outwardly and take their proper position within the openings 62. As already stated, however, the alinement which the hooks will give the heads is not a very close alinement for the reason explained, but as soon as the pins 62 cooperate with the openings 61 and the longitudinal axes ofthe heads substantially coincide, final alining is brought about and the couplers will be found to be in perfect alinement and maintained in that alinement, and in a coupled rela-tion until separated by the operator.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that there are modifications which may be made in the construction herein shown and described which will function in an equivalent manner hereto and will fall within the scope of my invention, therefore, I do not wish to be limited other than by my claims.

I claim:

l. A car coupler comprising in combination, a head member having a fiat face, means movable therewith to secure the head to a car, means on the head to interlock with means on a counterpart head to secure two heads together and the faces in close relation, means to move the interlocking means to a non-interlocking position and means urging the interlocking means to a ylocked position and means on one head to interi engage means on the counterpart head to maintain the heads in alinement, the said means being spring held and movable in a longitudinal direction. l

2. In a car coupler, the combination with fil) companion coupler heads, of coupling devices on said heads, means on said coupling devices for interlocking said devices in coupling relation, yieldable pins on the cooperating faces of the coupler heads independent of said coupling devices and holes on the heads to receive the pins in sliding relation for interlocking said coupler heads against relative vertical and lateral movement when coupled.

3. In a car coupler, the combination with.

companion heads having interlocking coupling devices projecting from the adjacent faces thereof, 0f longitudinally yielding projections and recesses cooperating therewith on the said adjacent faces, the said coupling devices being adapted to guide the said projections and recesses into engagement, and the said projections and recesses being adapted to aline the said heads before the adjacent. faces meet and prevent relative lateral and vertical movement of the heads.

Y el. In a car coupler, the combination with companion heads having interlocking coupling` devices projecting from the adjacent faces thereof, of cooperating projections and recesses on the said adjacent faces, the said projections being adapted to yield i longitudinally if they first engage the face of the opposite head.

5. In a car coupler, the combination of a pair of coupler heads having counterpart yielding projections and recesses on the adjacent heads thereof to prevent relative vertical and lateral movement and interlocking coupling devices to prevent longitudinal movement of the projections relative to the recesses when the heads are coupled.

6. In a car coupler, the combination of a pair of hollow coupler heads having counterpart recesses and yielding projections on the adjacent faces to prevent relative vertical and lateral movement, .pivotally mounted and interlocking coupling devices projecting from within the head to prevent longitudinal movement and cooperating means on the coupling devices and coupler heads for partial alinement of the heads before the yielding projections and the. recesses cooperate.

T. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head of a coupling device carried thereby to cooperate with a similar coupling device on a companion head to lock theheads against longitudinal movement, means independent of said coupling device to cooperate to interlock the heads against vertical and lateral movement, the said means comprising a pointed and longitudinally yieldable pin projecting from the forward face of each head and adapted to register with an opening in the companion heads.

8. In a car coupling, the combination of a pair of similar heads each provided with means to vpreliminarily aline the heads and later to interlock to prevent longitudinal movement and projecting means on each headvto cooperaterwith means on each head to prevent relative vertical or lateral movement of the heads, the said projecting means being arranged to yield if the heads primarily engage with their longitudinal axes out of alinement.

9. In a car coupler, the combination of a pair of similar heads each provided with` means t0 interlock to prevent longitudinal movement of the heads, cooperating projecting means and recesses on the heads to prevent lateral and vertical movement of the heads, the projecting means provided with, means to adjust the amount of projection.

10. In a car coupler, the combination of a pair ofk similar heads each provided with means to interlock to prevent longitudinal movement of the heads, cooperating yieldable projecting means and recesses on the heads to prevent lateral and vertical movement of the heads, the projecting means provided with means to adjust the amount of projection.

1l. In -a coupler head, a hollow member provided with a projecting member to enter the hollow of and to interlock with a similar projecting member of a cooperating head, a pin projecting from the head to cooperate with a recess in the cooperating head, means tending to maintain the pin in a projected position but permitting the pin to retract if the pin engages the `cooperating head before entering the recess. i

12. The combination of a pair of .coupler heads mounted on car bodies, means on the heads to preliminarily aline the heads and to hold the heads in coupled relation, yielding means projecting from each head and cooperating with means on the other head to finally aline the longitudinal axes of Jche heads and to prevent relative lateral and vertical movement of the heads, and means to resiliently and pivotally mount each head to a car body.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

CHARLES H. TOMLINSON. 

